How You Can Develop a Positive Mental Attitude

In his best-selling book “Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude”, Napoleon Hill shares the secrets to developing what he calls a Positive Mental Attitude (or PMA). We equate PMA to living in the Green Zone as many of the characteristics are equivalent to how Mr. Hill describes what having the right mental attitude is all about. He includes characteristics such as hope, optimism, courage, initiative, generosity, tolerance (which we call acceptance) and kindliness. Negative Mental Attitude (NMA) has the opposite characteristics to PMA.

After spending much of his life studying some of the most successful people in history, Mr. Hill concluded that a PMA is the one simple secret shared by them all.

In his book, Napoleon Hill outlines 17 Success Principles that can lead each person that commits to using these principles to the success that they are seeking. In his review of the book, he provides a brief outline of these principles and below we have added questions at the end of each description. However, we will only cover the top 7 here and encourage you to purchase his book which covers all 17 principles in greater detail.

Success Principle 1: Definiteness of Purpose
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Without a purpose and a plan, people drift aimlessly through life.

Do you know what your purpose is? If not, it might be time to think and list out what are your God-given gifts and talents. We believe they play a key role in what we were created to contribute to this world.

Success Principle 2: Mastermind Alliance
The Mastermind principle consists of an alliance of two or more minds working in perfect harmony for the attainment of a common definite objective. Success does not come without the cooperation of others.

Do you have a group, or at least one or two people that believe in your success? That’s one of the reasons this membership was created. It’s important to build your network of like-minded and positive people. That’s who Green Zone Lifers are all about!

Success Principle 3: Applied Faith
Faith is a state of mind through which your aims, desires, plans and purposes may be translated into their physical or financial equivalent.

Do you have a positive expectation that what you want can truly happen? This is where faith in the unseen can really come into play. Can you think of some ways to tap into your faith?

Success Principle 4: Going the Extra Mile
When you go the extra mile, the Law of Compensation comes into play. This is a concept that there is a balance or reciprocity in life that ensures that we receive what we give.

Going the extra mile is the action of rendering more and better service than that for which you are presently paid. When you go the extra mile, the Law of Compensation comes into play.

Are you doing anything in your life right now that you consider “going the extra mile”? If not, what can you do today to implement this principle?

Success Principle 5: Pleasing Personality
Personality is the sum total of one’s mental, spiritual and physical traits and habits that distinguish one from all others. It is the factor that determines whether one is liked or disliked by others.

We think even more important than being liked by others is, do you like yourself? If the answer is no, what is it that you would want to change to be liked by yourself? Once you like yourself, it is far easier to be liked by others!

Success Principle 6: Personal Initiative
Personal initiative is the power that inspires the completion of that which one begins. It is the power that starts all action. No person is free until he learns to do his own thinking and gains the courage to act on his own.

Do you have the initiative and courage to move forward and make the changes you feel necessary to live your best life? If so, outline those things that you want to take action to improve.

Success Principle 7: Positive Mental Attitude
Positive mental attitude is the right mental attitude in all circumstances. Success attracts more success while failure attracts more failure.

Are you committed to using the tools that you are learning through your membership to help you cultivate a PMA and spend more time in the Green Zone?

Mr. Hill gives us a lot to think about with these 17 principles! After reading through each one, select at least one and no more than 3 or 4 that you want to start focusing on. You don’t have to take them all on at once, as that can certainly overwhelm anyone. However, as you will experience for yourself, the incremental changes you make can significantly shift your outcomes. Also, as things improve, you will gain more momentum and it will be easier to make additional positive changes as you go.
A positive mental attitude happens when we are in the Green Zone. We step in at Hope and we then we can access emotions like optimism, positive expectation, empowerment and ultimately that leads us to a place of joy.

From the Green Zone,
Vicky